As the back-to-back LPL champions and MSI runners-up, Bilibili Gaming enters the 2024 World Championship as one of the Eastern heavyweights expected to contend for the title. Ahead of their opening series against Europe’s MAD Lions KOI in the Swiss Stage, we had the opportunity to interview BLG’s mid laner, Zhuo “Knight” Ding.
Esports.net: Last year, you entered Worlds as a favorite. This year, you are similarly considered among the favorites, but on a different team.
How does the atmosphere heading into Worlds 2024 compare to 2023?
Knight: In my opinion, this year’s Worlds will showcase a strong performance by BLG. Our training regimen and communication have been in excellent shape.
Image credit: Riot Games
Lee Jones: Following their loss in the MSI final to Gen.G, BLG’s performances in the LPL have improved, while Gen.G failed to secure victory in the LCK summer split.
Do you believe BLG is now the favorite to win Worlds?
Knight: At MSI, I had only been with BLG for half a year, so our synergy was still developing. We appeared weaker than Gen.G at that time.
However, after winning the Summer title, we are now confident in our abilities and not afraid of them.
Choosing a favorite to win Worlds is challenging. Both teams are strong, and success will depend on how we adapt during the tournament.
Lee Jones: There was a moment of uncertainty when it seemed Scout might not attend Worlds with LNG and Yagao could replace him.
What was your reaction to that situation, and are you disappointed that Yagao won’t be competing at Worlds?
Knight: While I don’t have all the details, I don’t want to comment much. I have a good relationship with Yagao, and it was disappointing to see him miss out on qualifying for Worlds. I believe he will have a chance to shine in the future.
Image credit: Riot Games
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Lee Jones: Your first opponent is MAD Lions KOI…
Have you been following their Play-In matches? What are your thoughts on them?
Knight: I watched MDK’s Play-In matches. They are a team that frequently utilizes lane-swapping and performs well when their AD carries Jinx and their mid laner picks Syndra.
What do you think of the LEC mid laners at Worlds, such as Caps, Humanoid, and Fresskowy?
Caps has been the most impressive European mid laner to me.
This will be my first time facing the MDK mid laner, so it’s hard to evaluate him before our match.
Lee Jones: Before the tournament, there was speculation about how the Worlds patch could impact teams positively or negatively.
How do you think the patch changes suit BLG?
I believe the patch changes have both pros and cons for BLG. Some champions I excel at have been nerfed, while others have been buffed. Overall, I feel the changes are manageable for us.
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